Apple releases a fix for LTE connectivity issues with new Apple Watch

The Apple Watch continues to be a bright spot in amongst the middling world of wearables, according to new numbers from Canalys.

When Joanna Stern reviewed the Apple Watch Series 3 for the WSJ, her headline was “Apple Watch Series 3 Review: Untethered... and Unreliable.” In some cases, the Apple Watch had troubles connecting to LTE networks. It turns out it was a software bug as Apple has now issued a watchOS update that fixes LTE connectivity issues.

The release notes of watchOS 4.0.1 are quite straightforward: “watchOS 4.0.1 fixes issues that in rare cases were causing Apple Watch to join unauthenticated (captive) Wi-Fi networks, such as those found in public places like coffee shops and hotels, which direct the user to a webpage before the network can be accessed,” Apple wrote.

While the WSJ could reproduce the bug with three different watches on two different carriers, it took Apple a few more days to identify the bug. The company then admitted that there was a software bug and that it wasn’t that serious. No need to replace your Apple Watch.

So if you have an Apple Watch Series 3 with LTE connectivity, head over to the Watch app on your iPhone. Tap ‘General’ then ‘Software Update’ to download and install the patch. watchOS updates usually take a while, so make sure you have a charger and enough time on your hands.